About

Welcome to The Gift Shed‘s blog.
What’s in a name?

As a gardener by trade I thought it was appropriate to set up shop in a shed, metaphorically speaking, and so The Gift Shed was born.  When I started making and selling my books four years ago I intended it to be a part-time thing, something that would keep me busy (and help me earn some money) in the winter months when gardening work is a bit thin on the ground.  Things have changed, though, and now I split my time equally between gardening and working in my studio.  It’s a nice balance, a week gardening and then a week being arty, and it means I still enjoy a lot of variety!

What do I do?

I enjoy crafting in my spare time, and particularly like to create things from things which might otherwise be considered junk or rubbish – thus reusing and recycling materials to create something useful and/or beautiful.  I sell my creations via my shop on Etsy, www.thegiftshed.etsy.com.  Custom orders are welcome, please contact me if you would like an item made to your specifications.
Where do I work?

I used to work out of  a shared studio on Johnsons Island in Brentford, and although it was a wonderful space a change in personal circumstances meant that I gave up working on the island and built a studio in my garden instead.

It’s brilliant having my studio just at the bottom of the garden.  The commute to work is easy, and although I miss the community there are other compensations.

What’s this blog for?

I started blogging a few years ago, and had several different ones – for sketches, for creative writing, for commissioned work, and then this year I created this one for my Project 365.  Having everything in different places proved a bit of a problem though, as I never seemed to have time to update everything – so I recently decided to collate all my past blog entries here.   The blog is split into categories, so you can find sketches, commissions and other things relatively easily.  I’m also hoping to use this blog to record various projects that I undertake.

What next?

This blog is a work in progress.  Most of the older entries have been added (and backdated appropriately), but I’m still in the process of moving some things.  If you have any comments or suggestions then please let me know!